Online Study Tips: How to Ask Questions to Your Professor

Posted on 12/8/2017

While online college classes have many advantages, there are also some
things you’ll need to know in order to achieve success. In a traditional
in-person class, you can simply raise your hand to ask your professor
a question. You can also visit them during their office hours if you need
to have a longer or more personal discussion about issues pertaining to
the course.

While you can’t just raise your hand in an online class, there are
still ways you can ask questions to your professor. Email is one of the
best options for asking a question directly. Your professor will likely
respond in a timely manner. Just remember that they probably teach multiple
classes and have several other students to respond to at any given time.

Many professors teach both online and traditional classes. Even if you’re
strictly an online student, you can still visit your professor during
office hours if you live close enough to campus. This gives you a great
opportunity to meet them face to face, and they’ll likely appreciate
that you care about your studies so much you made the extra effort.

Some professors do provide their phone numbers if you have an emergency
situation that needs to be addressed. The good thing about email though
is that it’s time-stamped, so even if they can’t get back
to you right away, you’ll both know when you first reached out.

Another way to ask questions to your professor is through in-class forums.
Many classes have a message board type platform where you can discuss
course material with other classmates and your professor will also add
their comments. This is a great place to ask general questions that you
might ask by raising your hand in a traditional class. Your fellow students
can also benefit from your questions, and they may even be able to answer
them as well.

Don’t avoid asking questions simply because you’re studying
online and not in a traditional classroom. Questions are a fundamental
part of the higher learning experience and it’s to your benefit
to learn all you can.